Emphysema is a serious lung disease where the air sacs and small airways of the lungs have become damaged. Emphysema is a progressive disease which is not typically diagnosed until irreversible damage has been done. Symptoms rarely occur in the early and reversible stages of emphysema. Emphysema is a progressive disease that eventually limits the patient’s ability to perform physical activity. In advanced stages, the patient must use about 20% of their resting energy to expel air from their lungs, causing severe fatigue. Emphysema affects the expulsion of air rather than the inhalation of air.
Symptoms of emphysema include a mild and chronic cough, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue. Fatigue sets in when the body has to work especially hard to expel air combined with the inability to receive ample oxygen throughout the body. The simple act of eating can produce such fatigue that the patient loses interest in food. The weight loss contributes to fatigue and weakness. A cough may or may not accompany emphysema, but when it does it is typically a cough that does not produce phlegm. The main symptom of emphysema includes a feeling of shortness of breath, even when lying down, and difficulty breathing after any type of lung involved illness such as the flu or the common cold. Physical exertion creates great difficulty breathing.
The number one cause of emphysema is smoking. Most people believe that you have to smoke through age 50 or 60 to be diagnosed with emphysema, although people in their 30’s and 40’s may be diagnosed with emphysema. Smoking causes perpetual inflammation and damage to the lungs from numerous angles, and smoking can cause damage to the air sacs and small airways as early as the late 20’s.
Patients who are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 45 may be carrying a protein deficiency. It is possible to develop emphysema without smoking, depending on exposure to chemicals and the possibility of being deficient in the protein known as AAt, which provides protection for the elastic lining of the organs. Patients who smoke and have this deficiency are the most likely to be diagnosed with emphysema in their 30’s.
Risk factors for emphysema include age, as most patients develop symptoms in their 50’s or 60’s, exposure to second hand smoke, smoking, chemical exposure in the workplace, heredity, HIV and AIDS, connective tissue disorders, exposure to pollution, and a weakened immune system.
Testing for emphysema is likely to include a physical examination, a chest x-ray to rule out other potential causes for symptoms, a CT scan to assess severity of lung damage and location of lung damage, a pulse oxygen reading to assess the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, a sputum examination, and an arterial blood gas analysis. These tests can often help to determine whether or not the cause of the symptoms is emphysema or another cause.
The most important part of treatment for smokers with emphysema is quitting smoking. Quitting can be very difficult and is best approached with the assistance of either nicotine replacement products, medications, a support system, and a sense of accountability. Being exposed to second hand smoke is not beneficial for a patient who has been diagnosed with emphysema. Initially, it can make quitting smoking that much more difficult as well as expose the lungs to further damage. Family members should quit as well, or at least remove smoking from inside the home as well as in cars or other shared spaces.
Other treatment options may include the injections of the AAt protein which may be deficient per further testing. Injections of the protein are likely to help the protective lining either heal or at least cease to deteriorate any longer. Oxygen therapy in the home may help to alleviate symptoms. Bronchodilators can also help to alleviate symptoms and make the patient more comfortable. All patients should not use the same inhaler, as each patient has either a higher or lower tolerance to certain medications. Bronchodilators should be selected individually to help individual patients and their symptoms.
Learning to breathe through the diaphragm can help patients use their oxygen levels without tiring quite as significantly. Diaphragmic breathing exercises require practice daily and should be taught by a professional. Pursed lip breathing as well as deep breathing exercises can also help make the patient’s air more effective and less tiring.
Despite the difficulties presented by emphysema, patients should still participate in daily exercise to help their lungs expand as well as deliver oxygen more efficiently. Good nutrition and a healthy and caring support system have been proven to lengthen the lives of patients with all kinds of chronic debilitating diseases, including emphysema.
Emphysema videos
Master Pranic Healer Dr George Dangel - Chronic Emphysema
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First Emphysema Video Now Replaced Please See Latest Version
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http://www.youtube.com/v/Fw1U1DLI8hU
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Physiopathology of lung enphysema
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Histopathology Lung--Emphysema
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Find out more by viewing the Human Anatomy page:
Respiratory System
Medication commonly used for these disease:
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Brethine is a bronchodilator which is used in the treatment of symptoms associated with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis. Brethine has been proven effective at treating bronchospasms and the wheezing associated with bronchospasms.
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Atrovent is a brand name for the generic medication ipratropium bromide. It is used to treat difficulty breathing due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can include chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is also used to prevent painful more...
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Proventil is the brand name for the generic drug albuterol sulfate. It is prescribed in an aerosol, in a capsule for inhalation, and as an inhalation solution for small children for the prevention and relief of bronchospasm in patients over the age of fou more...
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Serevent is a brand name for salmeterol xinafoate inhalation powder. It is taken twice a day to help prevent asthma from occurring, but it does not replace fast-acting inhalers for the sudden onset of symptoms. It comes in a round plastic administrative more...
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Theo-24 is a brand name for the generic medication theophylline anhydrous. It belongs to a class of drugs called bronchodilators, which means it helps to clear blocked passages in the lungs. Theo-24 is prescribed to treat the symptoms of asthma, chronic more...
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Asthmatic patients are all too familiar with Albuterol. It is one of their helplines when breathing difficulty, chest tightness, and wheezing occurs. Albuterol works by relaxing the muscles in the air passageways to improve breathing. It is also effective more...
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Salbutamol is a Beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist drug that is used for the relief of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1969 and in the United States in 1980. It is also known by the trade n more...
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Spiriva is a brand name for the generic drug tiotropium bromide inhalation powder. It is administered in an inhaler called the Spiriva HandiHaler, into which capsules are emptied, and is intended only for oral inhalation. It is intended to be used once more...
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Formoterol is a long acting drug that is mostly used in managing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is marketed worldwide under the brand names Foradil and Oxis. Formoterol when inhaled works in relaxing the muscles in the airway by dif more...
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Salmeterol is a bronchodilator. It is a long acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist that is mostly used for persistent acute asthma attacks. Salmeterol is prescribed to patients who have been treated previously with Salbutamol and is already prescribed with Flu more...
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